A Hunter's Life
by itstartswithj
Summary: Millie O'Shea has been with the Winchesters for as long as she can remember, and she's grown up as much a hunter as Sam and Dean. A lot of different things can explain it, but she knows she's in for nothing but trouble when she finds herself growing closer to Dean, who's overprotective and impulsive when her safety is on the line.
1. A Hunter's Birthday

**Summary: **Millie O'Shea has been with the Winchesters for as long as she can remember, and she's grown up as much a hunter as Sam and Dean. A lot of different things can explain it, but she knows she's in for nothing but trouble when she finds herself growing closer to Dean, who's overprotective and impulsive when her safety is on the line.

**Rating: **T

**Characters: **Dean W., Sam W., John W., Camille "Millie" O. (original character, portrayed by actress Teresa Palmer)

**I hope you enjoy! Favorites, follows, and reviews would mean the world to me!**

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May 4, 1997

The slam of the motel door was what woke me up, although I was seemingly the only one affected. Beside me Sam was snoring softly and one bed over Dean was sprawled out asleep as if there hadn't been a peep. I could hear John wandering around the room, as well as setting something on the table.

I grinned, making sure my face was hidden behind the blankets so John wouldn't know I was awake. He tried to be secretive about these things, but I'd been counting down the days for months.

I was finally fifteen.

John tried to play off birthdays, but he always left the motel early in the morning and came back and left a gift on the table. Just two days ago for Sam's fourteenth birthday he'd gotten a book he wanted. At the store John had said no because it contained no information on the supernatural, but as long as we never acknowledged or mentioned our presents they kept coming every year.

For Dean's eighteenth a couple of months ago he hadn't gotten a gift. Unless you counted a new fake ID, which I didn't. But Dean was a little different than me and Sam. He didn't want gifts. He was happy with just hopping motels and hunting.

Luckily it was a Sunday, as well as our first day here in Oskaloosa, Iowa, so we didn't have to jump into school.

John bustled around for twenty or so more minutes before he grabbed the car keys and headed out, presumably to work on the case.

I quietly pushed the covers away and rolled out of bed. The cheap motel mattress squeaked, but Dean and Sam slept like rocks anyway so it didn't matter. I glanced at my wrapped gift but set it aside for the moment, instead falling into a chair in front of John's laptop and logging in.

"Millie?" a sleepy voice called while I was going over the details of our most recent hunt. I glanced over my shoulder to see Dean. He wasn't out of bed yet, but he was awake. "Where's Dad?"

"Went out," I said with a shrug, but nodded over to my birthday present. "Brought in my present then left."

A little grin lit up Dean's face. "Aw, my little Millie's fifteen. They grow up so fast."

"Shut up," I ordered, twisting back to face the screen. I heard Dean chuckle and get up to go take a shower while I went back to the evidence.

In the past two months eleven people had gone missing from all over town and reappeared a few days later, drained of blood. There wasn't much of a pattern as far as where they were snatched from or where the drained bodies were recovered, but each victim was a teenage boy.

It screamed vampire, but a few of the victims disappeared in the middle of the day, when only a psychotic vampire would be out hunting.

I marked the last known locations of the victims and where their bodies had resurfaced on a map of the town and examined it, chewing on the end of my pen as I tried to find any connection. The locations seemed random, so it would be difficult to find this thing, whatever it was.

After his shower Dean went out to get breakfast, and by the time he got back Sam was up too. While I nibbled on my sausage and egg sandwich I told the boys the deal and they were just as clueless as me.

John arrived back a couple of hours later with a game plan. Since the victims were all teenage boys who he'd found out attended the same high school, Dean and I were supposed to ask around as much as we could to find the connection.

Since Sam was only in eighth grade and couldn't do much research he had to sit out the beginning stages of the hunt, but it didn't seem like he minded. He liked to be "normal," or as normal as it was possible to be with our lives.

The next day John let Dean take the Impala, so we dropped off Sam at the middle school and headed over to the high school. As per usual, Dean gave me one gruff warning to watch my back, to which I replied I could take care of myself.

In my first class a group of girls took me under their wing, complimenting everything from my "gorgeous" makeup (some eyeliner and a smidge of mascara) to my blonde hair. They told me to sit with them at lunch so that they could give the rundown of the school.

Before lunch I never found an opportunity to ask about the dead boys, although there was an ever-growing pile of letters and flowers on the table in front of the memorial in the main hall. I also never ran into Dean, which wasn't surprising considering he was a senior and I was a freshman.

At lunch I took a seat with the girls from this morning. Across the cafeteria Dean was sitting with a table full of senior boys, as well as a couple of pretty girls fighting for the chair next to him, and he shot me a questioning look. I shook my head, signaling that so far I'd gotten nothing.

"First things first," said the queen bee of our little group, a brunette girly-girl named Nikki, "you made a good decision hanging out with us. This school's full of freaks."

"Like who?" I'd finally found an opportunity.

"Penelope, for one." Nikki pointed towards a tall girl sitting alone a couple tables away. "She seriously thinks she has a chance with Henry Colwell. _My _boyfriend. Loser ate glue in kindergarten, it probably ate away all her brain cells." Nikki's minions laughed, and I mimicked them to get more information.

"God, and Tina McFarland!" another girl cut in, pointing out a different girl across the cafeteria. This one was wearing a lot of black and mumbling, even though she was sitting alone. "_So _weird."

"Hey, easy, Marsha," Nikki ordered, and I blinked. Nikki didn't seem like the type to defend a girl so different. "Tina's had a really rough time these past couple of months."

"What do you mean?" I cut in.

"Well…" Another girl lowered her voice. "Tina's boyfriend was the first victim. You know, all those murders where they're draining the bodies."

"Really." I glanced back over at Tina. "Interesting."

"Hello, ladies," a new, male voice said.

"Hi, Ross," one of the minions squeaked.

This Ross fellow was a dude I recognized from my P.E. class. From what I'd heard he was a senior and was _the _"it" boy at the school. I had to admit he was cute – from his floppy brown hair to his flirty smile. Which was directed at me.

"I'm Ross," he explained pointlessly.

"Camille," I managed. "But I go by Millie." God, why was I stammering? And I'd never been self-conscious about my nickname before, so why all of a sudden? My damn nickname sounded like an old woman. I should've left it at Camille.

"Pretty," Ross commented, and I actually giggled. Me.

Then it hit me. My first real crush. It made sense, I guess. The cute older guy who was actually flashing his eyes over at me? It was no surprise that I felt my heartbeat quicken a little and batted my eyelashes a tad.

"Hey, after school would you like to go to the café with me? If you're free." He shot another pearly white smile my direction and I fought the urge to swoon. Those damn green eyes.

Wait…green eyes.

I looked over my shoulder towards Dean's table and saw, with a little shock, that he was still looking over here. Not at _me_. He was sending a nasty glare at Ross, who was oblivious to it.

I was honestly annoyed. Dean couldn't spare a second glance at me at most schools, but as soon as some guy showed interest in me he was going to go all overprotective and scare him away? No. Not happening.

"I'd love to," I finally said back.

"Great. Meet you by the doors after school's out?"

"See you there."

Ross stood up and made his way back over to the table full of jocks, clapping one on the shoulder as he sat down. He looked back over his shoulder at me and I blushed and looked away, only to find Nikki's little crew giggling like a bunch of psychos.

"Oh my God," was all Nikki said. Her sparkling blue eyes were wide with surprise. "Ross hasn't _ever _asked a girl out. Like for real out. Usually he just hooks up at parties. Good luck with that one, Millie."

After my last class of the day I ditched all my books in my locker and quickly hunted down Dean at his. Some tall leggy redhead had her back against his locker with him standing awkwardly close to her while he flirted.

"Dean," I sighed, feeling awkward as ever for having to separate Dean from one of his sexual escapades.

"Huh?" He glanced over, and when he saw it was me he eased away from the girl, shooting her a wink that promised a quick return. "I said I'd meet you by the car after school."

"Change of plans. I'm actually doing something with…some friends, so… Pick me up at the café in an hour or so?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure, I'll be there." Dean was quick to return to his lady while I rolled my eyes and headed to the main hallway.

Ross was talking with a couple of guys in letterman jackets when I showed up, but he was quick to dismiss them when he saw me, and for that I was grateful. They didn't seem like my cup of tea.

I followed Ross out to the parking lot to a tall shiny black truck. It was tall, but he was sweet enough to hold the door open and give me a boost up before going to his own seat and heading out of the parking lot. When we passed Dean near the Impala I subtly slid down in my seat until he was in the rearview mirror.

"So how are you liking Oskaloosa so far?" he asked conversationally, turning down the blaring country music so we could talk.

"I like it a lot. My family moves a lot for my dad's job but hopefully we'll be here for awhile."

"That'd be rough. That Dean guy's your brother, right? He seems cool."

"I'm adopted, but yeah. There's also Sam, who's in eighth grade."

"What's your dad in?"

"He's an entrepreneur," I muttered.

At the café the waitress was awfully flirty with Ross considering I was sitting right across from him, and she even knew his order. She was rather brisk and cold when getting my order, so I watched her in the back to make sure she didn't spit in my food.

Tina McFarland came in when Ross and I were finishing up, and settled in a booth by the window by herself.

"She seems different," I finally commented. It wouldn't hurt to have a little more information on the case since John and Dean would both me questioning where I was, and Tina seemed slightly suspicious.

"The girl's a psycho," Ross explained, and not all that quietly. "She's been in and out of school for…_family issues_ since third grade. Everyone thinks she's the one who offed her boyfriend. But who knows. That James guy was weird too."

"People seriously think she's the one that's killing boys?" I tried to keep the urgency in my voice at the level of a curious newcomer to the town instead of a supernatural hunter.

"Oh, yeah. Everyone's convinced she's trying to be a vampire. She never eats food at lunch, for example, and she doesn't talk to anyone. Only one of the guys was taken on a school day, and that was one of the days she was gone. The only crack in our plan is that she's in the sun." He chuckled as if it was all a joke.

I nibbled on my scone and glanced back over at Tina. She was getting more and more suspicious, but it still didn't explain what she was. No sane vampire would go out and take boys in the middle of the day.

"Hm. Weird."

"I'll say." Ross tossed his napkin on his plate and grinned at me. "Thanks for hanging out with me today, Millie."

"Thanks for inviting me," I stammered, heat rushing to my cheeks.

"You're cute when you blush."

"Well–" I was cut off by a familiar horn and glanced out the window to see Dean parked in the spot right outside the window of our booth. He looked pissed. "There's my brother."

"I'll see you around?"

"Yeah." I stood up and gave Ross a quick hug before I hurried outside and hopped into the Impala.

The tension in the car was unbearable, but we made it halfway to the motel before Dean said anything.

"You shouldn't hang out with him," was all he said. And _that _ticked me off.

"What would you know about who I should hang out with?" I snapped. "You wouldn't care if it was a girl."

"It's not the gender I'm concerned with," Dean insisted, but the bob of his Adam's apple said otherwise. "It's what I've heard about him. He's not a nice guy, Millie."

"Stop being so damn overprotective. I'm fifteen, Dean – I can take care of myself." Luckily we arrived at the motel at that moment, so I was able to get out of the car immediately and slam the door for dramatic effect before heading inside.

John had just gotten back from grabbing some food from some fast food restaurant, and Sam was in bed reading a book, probably for school. John turned to ask me how my day was, but I stormed to the bathroom instead and locked myself in.

I ran a little bit of cold water over my face, all the while listening to what was happening out in the main room. Dean was tattling on me, as if it was such an awful thing that I'd gone out to a café with a boy. When he was fifteen he'd probably done much more than that with a number of girls.

When I regained some composure I came out, holding my chin up and ignoring Dean. Which he was also doing. His eyes were glued to the car magazine in front of him, but his jaw was tense.

"Millie," John said in a strange tone, and I groaned. "Sorry. Dean got the talk when he started hanging out with girls, so it's only fair that you do too."

"I was _working_," I insisted immediately. It wasn't a lie, but it also wasn't the whole truth. Getting information out of Ross had just been a bonus of hanging out with him.

"Even so, it's my responsibility to make sure you understand–"

"Oh, God, _no_!" I was seriously about to get the talk. Not _a _talk, _the _talk. I fell onto my bed and covered my ears, not wanting to hear any of this. Talk about awkward. John explaining the birds and the bees while Sam and Dean were right here? No thanks. "John, stop! I am not…" I gulped, not believing I was about to say this in front of everyone. "…sexually active. As soon as I am I'll be sure to let you know so you can give me the talk then."

"Okay," John said immediately, seemingly just as glad as I was to not have to go over this.

"Great. Super. Now that _that's _over," I announced, shooting a glare to Dean, "we can talk about what this thing is."


	2. A Hunter's First Kiss

**Thank you so much for the reviews, favorites, and follows! Wow, just from the first chapter. I'm thankful for all the great response. :) Keep it coming! Updates should be fairly frequent for awhile (I've got up through chapter four written), but of course the great feedback gets me motivated to edit and post new chapters!**

**Here's chapter two!**

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"Got it," Sam announced after we'd all been scrounging the books for a few hours. We all looked up and gestured for him to share. "It's a Vetala."

"A what?" Dean and I both asked simultaneously. Normally we both would've laughed at this, but we were both so stubborn and still disagreed over the whole Ross situation.

"A Vetala," John sighed, as if it should've been obvious. "I should've known. They're sort of like vampires, but not sensitive to sunlight. They actually possess dead human bodies. They hunt in pairs and sedate their victims so that they can feed off of them a few times. That explains why the boys have been disappearing midday and why their bodies haven't turned up for a few days."

"It also explains the strange venom you found in their veins in the morgue," I told him.

"So how do we kill it?" Dean asked, immediately cutting right to the chase.

"We can't just go in guns blazing. We don't know when or where the next attack will take place. Hell, we don't even know for sure if Tina is the Vetala. Even if she is we have no way of knowing who her partner is. She talks to nobody."

"It's rare, but the occasional few hunt independently." John took the book from Sam and skimmed over a few lines. "But by the number of victims in this amount of time, there's got to be two."

"Great. So who's the second stooge?"

"There's three stooges, idiot," Sam muttered, and I laughed while Dean glared at the both of us.

With another day of school tomorrow, John restrained the three of us to the motel room. He was going out to watch Tina's house to see if anything suspicious went on then, and also to follow her if she left. We couldn't afford another death.

After my shower I changed into my pajamas, a loose long-sleeved Red Sox shirt and some red flannel PJ shorts, and helped Sam figure out some of his algebra formulas. Math was my favorite subject.

Sam was in bed and I was cleaning up the trash from dinner when Dean emerged from the bathroom, clad in only his boxers, of course. When it got hot out he always only slept in his boxers. It didn't bug me since I'd grown up with him and was used to it, but it did annoy me how cocky he was, even if he deserved to be with that body. I rolled my eyes when he came out.

"Millie," he whispered quietly, careful not to wake Sam.

"Hm?" I didn't look at him because I knew I wouldn't be able to focus on what he was saying without a shirt on. I just kept clearing the trash off slowly.

"I'm sorry for flipping out on you today. I guess I was being a little unfair. To you, not to him. The guy seems like a dick."

"How would you know? You don't even know him."

"Honestly, he seems a lot like me. I admittedly don't treat girls right, but that doesn't mean I want some guy to treat you like that. You deserve someone better."

"You have to cool it with the overprotectiveness," I demanded, twisting around to meet his eyes. He was closer than I'd originally thought, and I had to look almost straight up to cover the eight inches he had on me. Gathering my breath, I continued, "I'm a big girl, Dean. I can handle myself."

He just looked down at me for a few moments, his jaw tense. "Fine. Don't come crying to me when this Ross guy hurts you." And he turned around and went to his bed.

I blinked. I couldn't believe he'd honestly just said that to me.

Shaking it off, I pushed back the covers of my own bed beside Sam. When I had first joined the Winchesters when I was six, I always slept with Dean. He was nice and funny and sweet back then. When he was fourteen and I was eleven John finally came to me and demanded I share a bed with Sam instead. That was when Dean's womanizing began, so I could understand why John requested the change, especially since Sam was too respectful to try anything.

I laid in bed for an hour, unable to fall asleep, before the motel door creaked quietly open and a familiar shadow entered. John dropped his jacket and went to the fridge, cracking open a beer and falling onto the couch.

"John," I whispered so quietly I was surprised he'd heard.

"I'll tell you everything in the morning. Get to sleep, Millie."

As usual, I was the first one up, showered, and ready to go. John was moving a little slow today, probably from something that happened on the hunt the night before, so I offered to head over to the lobby and bring back something from the breakfast area.

When I got back Sam was showering and Dean was stirring. I whistled once to get his attention and then gestured to the food in my hands, which made him get up a lot quicker.

"French toast for John, eggs and bacon for Dean, Lucky Charms for me, and a Krispe Kreme for Sam." I put all the food down, followed by the little individual bottles of chocolate milk. "Is that everything?"

"Yes, ma'am," John replied, taking a seat in front of his food.

"So what happened last night, Dad?" Dean finally asked, and we all looked to John expectantly.

"Tina left her house shortly after five. I followed her and saw that she was about to attack a boy, so I stabbed her with the silver knife and got rid of the body." He set his fork down. "I waited as long as possible for the partner to emerge, but I couldn't wait any longer."

"So now her partner's going to be pissed," I sighed. Super. Now we needed to figure out who the partner was before it started killing again, and for all we knew it could know we were after it.

"Bingo. Listen around at school today, alright? See if you hear anything?"

"Yes, sir," Dean agreed.

We dropped Sam off at school and then arrived at the high school, both of us unsure of how today would play out, or even if anybody had found Tina's body yet. Ross just so happened to be walking past the car when I stepped out, and he came over to walk me in. I didn't look to see Dean's reaction, because I already knew it would be negative.

Ross walked me to my locker and to my first class, even though that meant he was late to his, but I could tell my crush was only getting worse.

Seriously, how could I hunt freaking evil creatures of the supernatural but not be immune to silly high school crushes? Even though I knew it was ridiculous and would lead nowhere, I intended to spend as much time with Ross as I could.

We were even going to go hang out at his house later today and watch some movies or something.

At lunch I sat with the girls again, but this time Nikki was nowhere to be found. With a quick scan around the cafeteria, I found her sitting right next to Dean, nuzzled up against him while he grinned down at her.

_Bitch_, I thought immediately. My plastic fork snapped in half in my hands, and I looked down at it, surprised. Where had that come from? Nikki had been nothing but nice to me since I got here yesterday, and it was nothing new from Dean to have a new girl every day.

"How was your date with Ross yesterday?" one of the girls, Marsha, asked with a sly smirk on her face.

"It wasn't a date," I said quickly and slightly defensively.

"Please, it was _so _a date," another girl, Lily, cut in. "Ross never asks girls out before…you know, so he must really like you."

"What?" I felt the blood drain from my face and my stomach became a tight bundle of nerves. Next thing I knew I was stammering nervously. "I don't know how to talk to guys even. And we're hanging out again tonight. Oh, God, what do I do?"

"Relax, sweetheart," Marsha ordered, and then she turned to Lily. "After school we're bringing her to my house." She looked back at me. "We'll make sure you're ready for your date with Ross tonight."

After the final bell I met Dean at his locker again, but this time he was alone. When he saw me there he slammed his locker shut and faced me. His tense expression meant he probably had an idea of what I was going to say.

"I don't need a ride home today," I told him.

"Why?"

"I'm going out with some girls…and then Ross." I cast my eyes down at my shoes. "To ask him some more questions about who could be Tina's partner. Research, you know."

"That's fine. After I drop Sam off at home I'm hanging out with Nikki anyway." The grin he shot me was so mean. "You know, _research_." He winked and then set off down the hall.

I tried not to let Dean get to me while I met up with Marsha and Lily. Luckily Lily was a sophomore so she had her license and could take us to Marsha's house.

They got to work immediately, asking what Ross had said we would do tonight. I told them he said we would watch movies and they giggled and gave each other pointed looks that obviously meant something to them that I didn't get.

At Marsha's house they twisted my blonde hair out of its ponytail and curled it, as well as did my makeup. They kept it neutral because I insisted. They dug through Marsha's closet for an outfit for me, and finally pulled it out. Tight high-waisted jeans and a cute floral tank top that tucked in. She also gave me a pair of pink sandals.

"My work here is done," Marsha announced as soon as she finished, and she looked me up and down and whistled.

"You look _hot_," Lily agreed.

Marsha had Ross's number so she called him after that, and he came by in his truck to pick me up. Once again he got out so he could help me up, and I swear I could hear Marsha and Lily squeal from her bedroom window.

Before we went to Ross's house we went to the town's ice cream parlor and sat outside while we ate. It was a nice day, but these damn jeans were so tight I felt like I was suffocating. Ross seemed to like them though; he couldn't take his eyes off my legs.

When we got to his house I was more nervous to meet his parents than anything, but he sensed it and told me they were out of town at a wedding for the next couple of nights. I wasn't sure whether that made me more or less nervous.

Their basement wasn't completely finished and the cement floor was cold, but off to the side there was a little shag carpet with a couch and entertainment center on it. I sat down and Ross tossed me a blanket while he put in _Scream_.

The previews started, and Ross sat down next to me, taking some of the blanket and tossing it over his legs. He was casual about tossing an arm over my shoulder; I don't think he noticed how tense and nervous I was.

Halfway through the movie his fingers started slowly skimming down my arm. When he reached my hand he intertwined our fingers. Meanwhile he turned his head and kissed at my neck, eventually turning my face towards his so our lips could meet.

Over the years I'd shared a few innocent pecks with the Winchester boys, but those were when we were young, and those didn't count as kisses. This was my first _real _kiss and it was overwhelming and strange but somehow I knew exactly what to do. He nudged my mouth open with his tongue, and after a few minutes the hand that'd been on my thigh started to move slowly inward.

"Hey," I breathed softly, pulling back and grabbing Ross's straying hand. I shook my head, but Ross just grinned and pressed his mouth back against mine.

I could tell he was experienced because he led with ease, and I could taste mint from some kind of gum I'd chewed before. When his hand once again moved between my knees and tried to pry my legs apart, the nerves got the most of me and I blabbered the first thing that came to mind.

"So Tina doesn't hang out with _anyone_?"

Ross seemed slightly annoyed, but pulled back nonetheless. "Not for a couple of months. She used to be best friends with Nikki, believe it or not." A couple of months. Right when the murders started happening.

"What happened there?"

"They went on a camping trip. Nobody could believe their parents let them go alone. There was a big search because they didn't come home, but they showed up a day later completely different. They were still close but stopped hanging out in public after Tina's boyfriend died a couple days later."

It added up perfectly. She and Nikki must've gone camping and had some accident, and the Vetalas possessed their bodies. Tina's boyfriend James must've been the first one it killed, and then the disappearances started. They must've known it'd be too obvious to hunters that they were partners if they remained best friends, so they separated themselves inside school.

And Nikki probably knew who killed Tina, which meant Dean was in danger if he really was hanging out with her.

"Do you know where Nikki lives?" I asked Ross quickly.

He looked confused, but said, "Yeah, why?"

"Could you please take me there?"

Ross was confused and kept asking questions while he drove to Nikki's, but I didn't answer any of them. When we arrived at her house the Impala was parked in the driveway, and I only hoped Dean was still okay.

I jumped out of the truck, not waiting for Ross to come around and help me out this time, and hurried inside. Nikki's parents were nowhere to be found, but I heard something upstairs hit the floor and break.

My steps pounded on the hardwood steps as I jogged up the stairs, Ross hot on my tail. I shoved open the door with the pretty pink decoration on it and blanched at what I saw.

"Put on some clothes!" I ordered.

"What the hell are you doing, Millie?" Dean demanded, having twisted around to see me, but nonetheless he hopped off of Nikki, who was still clothed, thank God, and pulled on his jeans over his boxers. I was just glad I hadn't arrived any later and jumped in to see more than I just had.

"Yeah, what _are _you doing, Millie?" Ross repeated.

I answered none of them, just glared at Nikki, who obviously realized that I knew what she was. She was growling, baring razor sharp teeth and the eyes of a cat.

Ross dropped a few choice words, as did Dean as he realized that Nikki was the other Vetala.

Luckily I kept a silver knife in my schoolbag, and I'd grabbed it before charging Nikki's house. I slid it out from behind my back, and when the glint caught Nikki's eyes she charged me.

One thing we _hadn't _previously known about Vetalas was their ridiculous strength. As she reached me I raised the knife and brought it down towards Nikki's heart, but she caught my wrist and twisted until it popped and the knife clattered to the floor.

I cried out and dropped to the floor, but still reached for the knife with my good arm. Dean was hurrying in to the fight as well, but hadn't reacted as quickly as I needed him to. My hand brushed the knife but Nikki easily lifted me and launched me across the room. I slammed into the dresser with a thud.

I immediately shook the glass from the mirror out of my hair and tried to stand back up, but I immediately fell sideways. I could only hope Dean could handle Nikki by himself, although I was still fighting to stand.

I'd fallen close enough to Nikki and Dean's scuttle that I could once again reach for the knife, but one well-powered boot to the face from Nikki was all it took to finish me off.


	3. A Hunter's First Time

**I continue to be amazed by the great feedback for this story! I'm so glad everybody seems to like Millie. Remember that constructive criticism is always welcome as well. Enjoy. :)**

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When I woke up with a pounding headache I recognized the motel room. It was dark past the curtains, but I could still hear voices whispering.

"You got rid of the body?" That was John.

"Yes. I was in a hurry to get Millie back here so I just dumped it in the river, but trust me, Nikki's done." That was Dean.

I slowly eased myself up, ignoring my tender muscles and migraine, and the squeak of the mattress alerted everyone to my presence.

"Thank God you're up," Sam said immediately, hurrying over and hugging me. I winced.

"Easy, Sammy," Dean reminded, and Sam backed up and smiled apologetically at me. Dean came over with a glass of water and a handful of pills, which I was quick to take. "Good to see you up, Millie."

"Nikki?" I asked in a soft voice, but it still killed my head.

"Taken care of. Don't worry about it." Dean gently pushed my shoulders back and yanked the blankets up to my shoulders. To my surprise, he pushed some hair out of my face and placed a soft kiss on my forehead. "Just relax. Don't worry about anything."

A couple of hours later the sun was rising and we were getting all of our bags tossed into the trunk of the Impala. John had wrapped my sprained wrist tightly enough that it didn't bother me, but my head and muscles were still killing me, so I sat on the sidewalk next to the car while the boys got everything taken care of.

A familiar truck pulled up next to the Impala. I didn't know why Ross was here. Surely he would want to be as far away as possible from me after witnessing the ordeal with Nikki.

When he hopped out of the big truck Dean didn't look necessarily pleased, but oddly enough he bit his tongue, and even followed his dad and Sam into the lobby to check out so I could have some time alone with Ross.

"So…" Ross kicked a rock and took a seat next to me. "This is what you guys do?"

"I guess so," I muttered. "Listen, I'm really sorry, Ross. You shouldn't have had to see any of that."

"Are you kidding?" He actually smiled. "I'm a hero. Sure, I had to stab the possessed dead body of the most popular girl in school and nobody can ever know I saved a bunch of people, but I did it. No more people will die."

"Wait, _you _stabbed Nikki?"

"Yeah. She was kind of beating the pulp out of Dean. She must not have thought I'd have the guts to do it, but I just picked up the knife and stabbed her right through the heart. It was gross."

I laughed. "You get used to it after a while."

We sat in silence for a few more minutes before Ross finally said, "So I guess you're leaving then."

"Yeah. New town, new monster."

"You are so cool." Ross ducked in to kiss me. Unlike last time, this one was slow and sweet, and when it ended I dropped my head on his shoulder and he threw an arm over mine.

A whistle broke us apart. It was John. "Let's go, Millie. We've got a lot of ground to cover."

I eased up slowly, turned and smiled one more time at Ross, and hopped in the back of the Impala next to Sam.

Goodbye, Oskaloosa.

December 4, 1999

It was nearing Christmas break of my senior year of high school, but this was already my seventh school this year. This time we were in Columbus, Nebraska.

Three women had died in their sleep, and we'd been unable to find any connection. One was thirty-two, divorced, and had seven kids, another was a nineteen-year-old college volleyball player, and one was twenty-seven, had gotten married a year ago, and had a newborn.

According to John's research, their health had been steadily deteriorating for a few weeks before their deaths, but no doctors had been able to find the issue or cure it.

So in came the Winchesters. And an O'Shea, of course.

Our first day in town, John left early to take a trip to the morgue. Considering Sam was just sixteen and I was only seventeen there was no way we would pass as FBI. Dean wanted to try, but at twenty even he was pushing it.

It was going to be a long, tense day stuck at the motel.

Lately Sam had been getting in tons of arguments with John and Dean about wanting to be normal. I tried to stay out of it all, but I'd gotten in a couple unrelated spats with Dean following a relationship with a boy at my last school.

It was only my third boyfriend, which I didn't consider a high number considering my age, but Dean was convinced I was a jerk magnet.

It didn't help when I reminded him he'd been wrong about Ross almost two and a half years ago in Iowa.

So I was giving Dean the silent treatment, Dean was giving Sam the silent treatment, and Sam wouldn't talk to anyone.

Awkward.

Dean went down the street to the bar and grill for a couple hours, probably to pick up girls, and Sam watched TV while I did some research.

I hoped I would never be away from the Winchesters, but if by some chance it ever happened they would all be screwed. They'd all three grown so accustomed to me doing the research that they probably didn't remember how to do it themselves.

Dean arrived back a little while later with the smell of beer on his breath, and John showed up a few minutes later.

"Find anything out?" I asked immediately, closing the laptop.

"Hi, Millie, it's good to see you too," John chuckled. He set our dinner out on the table – a gas station salad for me, a slice of pizza for Sam, and a cheeseburger for Dean. John must've already eaten.

"Sorry. Just ready to get to work on the hunt."

"As always." John took a seat around the table with the three of us. "Nothing much. The victims all just got unhealthy and died. There was one thing, though."

I cast my blue eyes up at him, waiting expectantly. He seemed like he was having a hard time spitting it out.

"Dad?" Dean urged.

"They all had signs of sexual activity, but it doesn't add up."

"Why not?" I pressed.

"The first victim, Karen Jennings, hasn't been in a relationship since she divorced eight years ago."

"One night stand maybe?" Sam shot out, but John shook his head.

"Her kids insist that she was over her reckless age. She didn't even drink. The college girl, Mary Adams, was a complete goody two-shoes. Wore a purity ring, never drank, was saving herself for marriage. And the last one, with the newborn, Michelle Rodriguez. Her husband said they hadn't had sex recently, because the baby's only four weeks old and the doctor said to wait six."

I wrote this all down as he went on, making a separate column for all three women and writing down what we knew about each, which wasn't much.

"I might have an idea as to what it is," I mumbled, not looking up because this case was literally my worst nightmare. I'd hoped I would never have to face one of these things, because it just made me sick to think about.

"Let's hear it," Dean said impatiently.

"An incubus." I finally looked up. "Legend has it the succubus and the incubus are actually the same creature, but it possesses bodies of different genders. First it appears as a woman, a succubus, and sleeps with men to get their sperm, and then appears as a man and has sex with sleeping women."

"But no men have died," Dean interrupted.

"Because unless the succubus sleeps with the men multiple times it doesn't drain their health," I explained. "To me, it looks like it's trying to impregnate a woman to create a cambion, a child that is created with human sperm and egg but is powerful and could be used for evil. It already has the sperm, so it's only appearing as an incubus now."

John nodded, opening his journal and flipping a few pages. He skimmed over a couple of lines and told me that it made sense.

"But why these three women?" Sam asked.

"Probably for a better chance of impregnating a woman, it chose three, assuming one would work. Karen obviously had good fertility to obtain seven kids, but I imagine it lessened with her age. Michelle was young and had just had a baby, so it probably figured her body had good capability to conceive another. And Mary was young and healthy, so her systems all had to work well."

"But none of them worked," John added in, "thankfully."

"But that just means it's going to choose more women to target now, so we have to stop it immediately," Dean reminded us.

I sighed and stood up, throwing my plastic bowl in the trash. I went back to my seat, pulling my hair back into a ponytail, and sighed.

"How are we planning on catching it to exorcise it?" I asked quietly.

"Silly question, Millie," Dean said me, and his smirk said it all.

"So you get all overprotective over human boys but as soon as there's an incubus around you're more than willing to summon him with me as bait?" I asked Dean as he got everything ready.

It'd taken hours of research, but finally we found a ritual to summon an incubus, and with any luck it'd be the one that was terrorizing this town.

"That's because I know you can handle the supernatural. Teenage boys are completely different." Dean winked at me. "Besides, we'll be right outside the circle ready to help as soon as it shows up."

The motel room was eerie with our new setup. With white chalk Dean had drawn a circle big enough that I could lay in the center of it, and I'd placed five black candles equally distanced around it.

"Remember you have to completely relax and–"

"I know, I know. Stay calm to summon the psycho supernatural rapist trying to impregnate me. Easy peasy."

"Don't worry. Dad, Sam, and I are all around here. There's no way this can't work."

The boys all took their places around the circle while I flipped off the lights. After lighting each of the candles, I laid down in the center, arms out and legs spread, and tried to relax, even though I was literally a sitting duck right now. Even though I'd refused to be unclothed for this, something told me my tight jeans wouldn't do much to protect my virginity from an incubus.

God, this was easily the stupidest thing I'd ever done. But I couldn't let any more women get hurt, and I certainly couldn't allow a cambion to be conceived.

With that motivation, I closed my eyes and managed to be completely still and relaxed.

I felt the incubus enter the circle before I opened my eyes to see him. It'd possessed a strong man that would have no problem overpowering a woman, sleeping or not. But I was different – I knew how to fight it.

Well, I would normally. But as soon as the thing entered the circle suddenly it was like an elephant was on my chest. I couldn't speak or move; I couldn't even breathe.

Outside the circle I could see John's lips begin to move, reciting an exorcism, but his voice wasn't breaking past the invisible wall around the circle. When he completed the exorcism and they all saw the incubus still inside, standing over me, they panicked.

"I have never before been summoned," the deep voice of the incubus said, kneeling down beside me. He twisted a lock of my blonde hair around his finger, his hand brushing my neck. I couldn't move to stop him, and Dean, who'd rushed forward, hit an invisible barrier. He was yelling, but nothing was making it through.

"Because…you're sick," I managed, my throat burning for air.

"I am an unwelcome presence, yes, but I do what I must. A cambion is needed, and I am simply following orders." His hand skimmed down my side. "I am sorry you will be awake for this. I sense your purity." He reached my zipper and began to work at it and the button of my jeans.

Panicking, tears slipping out of the corners of my eyes, I did the last thing that might work. I fought the ridiculous pain of speaking and lack of air in my lungs and began to recite an exorcism chant.

The incubus, realizing what I was doing, hurried. It was a race between how quickly he could yank down my jeans and how quickly I could choke out the Latin words.

Luckily, the winner was me. The Incubus had barely gotten my jeans two inches down when I spat the last word. Black smoke poured out of the screaming body, and the possessed man collapsed to the floor.

The candles, which had flared during the incubus's presence, burnt out all at once, and air returned in a rush to my lungs.

"Millie!" Dean reached me first, and he fell on his knees at my side, looking me over to make sure I was okay. "God, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

"Fine," I wheezed. I didn't try to get up, or even lift my head off the floor. Performing an exorcism with no air supply was draining, and I knew I wouldn't have a voice for a couple of days.

While Sam cleaned everything up from the summoning, Dean lifted me and carried me to one of the beds. I re-buttoned my pants when nobody was looking.

John did a complete checkup and, after he'd deemed that I was okay, minus the exhaustion, he took Sam out to get some Advil for me, leaving Dean to keep an eye on me.

"I'm so sorry, Millie," he said softly as soon as they were gone, taking a seat on the other bed. I was on my side under the blankets, so he probably thought I was sleeping. I peeked one eye open to see him sitting there, his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands.

"Dean," I said, getting his attention. "It wasn't your fault."

The next night I snuck past the bouncer into a bar in town. I told the boys I was going to the library, and I hoped they bought it even though it was so late.

I'd realized something with that incubus. A lot of things could be used against a hunter, and virginity was certainly one of them. So I needed rid of mine immediately.

I found some college guy who was completely wasted and lured him into the restroom of the bar. I didn't even ask his name before we were tearing each other's clothes off. I gave him no warning that I was a virgin, and he gave me no warning as he lifted my legs to go around his waist and slammed my back into the wall to hold me up.

Afterwards he slurred a thanks and I slipped my panties on under my dress before heading back out to the main area.

Dean was in a booth waiting for me. He knew me way too well. He knew that last night had been harder on me than I'd let on, and certainly after seeing that guy leave the bathroom before me he knew what I'd just done.

Luckily he'd gotten a beer for me. I'd never drank before, but I didn't hesitate before plopping down and taking a long swig from the bottle. I needed the oblivion of drunkenness.

"Are you okay?" Dean asked.

"Yes."

But I wasn't. I was disappointed in myself for so many reasons, especially for what I'd just done, and I knew that even though he was hiding it Dean was too.

"To a successful hunt," was all he said, and we clinked bottles before I downed another bitter drink.


	4. A Hunter's Normal Life

**I cannot even count how many times I re-wrote this chapter and couldn't find the right way to go about it. I had a pretty good chapter but then my laptop charger stopped working and so until my new charger comes in everything I've written ahead is unreachable. I hope this chapter is halfway decent and you enjoy! :)**

**Also, when I wrote these in Microsoft Word I put breaks in for time lapses not marked by dates, and somewhere between the copy and paste and publishing they were lost. So I apologize, and please just do your best at identifying time lapses.**

* * *

August 2, 2000

Hunting isn't a type of lifestyle you can just get away from. Once you're in, you're in for life, no matter how badly you may want to get out. Very few hunters successfully got out of the job, and even fewer went on to maintain a "normal life."

And yet that was what John and Dean expected me to do.

If I looked back, I should have seen it coming. Dean had been strange towards for months, ever since I nearly got hurt with the incubus, but in January it really became more noticable. Now that he was twenty-one it was easier for him to get away from the motel room, and he spent more and more time drinking and sleeping around. Our former friendship became tensed by the fact that we weren't together constantly anymore, and when he forgot me eighteenth birthday that was the last straw.

So, due to my newfound free time, the youngest Winchester and I grew closer. Sam gradually talked with me more and more about how he was applying to colleges and, following his last year of high school coming up, he was considering getting away. I often encouraged him to do what he wanted, and I think that made Dean begin to loathe me.

But yet he continued to do the absolute dumbest things on hunts any time there was even a smidge of danger so I wouldn't get hurt. It was infuriating that he thought I wasn't capable. He'd never treated me like any less of a hunter due to my gender, but after that incubus case suddenly it was like he was sure I needed protected.

And following our most recent hunt, he seemed to think the only way to keep me safe was to get me away from hunting completely.

We'd been hunting a werewolf in Chicago whose targets seemed to be young women. It took long enough for Dean to talk him into letting me be bait. He kept bringing up the near-disaster with the incubus, even though there were plenty of times he'd come out of being bait with much more serious injuries. But eventually John got him to allow it.

Everything had been going according to plan. I was walking through the wolf's hunting grounds on the night of a full moon, and it'd walked right into our trap. The boys, watching from afar, were supposed to wait for John's signal. But evidently the werewolf got too close to me for Dean's liking, and he took a shot before John gave him the go-ahead. The pissed werewolf swiped at me once before it forgot about me and charged them. John was able to get a knife to its heart before it got any worse, but it was already pretty bad.

Dean ended up with two fractured ribs, while Sam's collarbone was snapped in half. After taking care of the werewolf, John had to help Sam to the car and sent Dean to get me. I had no long-term injuries - just three long gashes across my hipbones that would fade into some nasty scars. John's least favorite way to end a hunt was at the hospital, but all three of us needed it.

Dean ended up with a brace for his torso that would keep his ribs still until they healed, while Sam got his left arm in a sling to immobilize his collarbone. After a blood transfusion and sixty-four stitches for me, we were ready to go, all of us with our strong pain medication in tow.

The ride back to the motel was torture. Both Dean and Sam grunted at each bump we hit. I was still too loopy from my different medication to feel much, but I hated the drugged-up feeling and couldn't wait to get back and relax.

John gave us a week-long break in which we stayed at the motel and he went off on a couple simple cases around Chicago. Dean and Sam both mostly lounged around. As long as I remembered to take my medicine I felt fine. Although I'd had to take to wearing the boys' shirts and my underwear around to avoid anything rubbing against the tender healing gashes, due to their location across my hipbones, the stitches were already beginning to dissolve. They were healing pretty rapidly and nicely.

The night before we were supposed to go anywhere, Dean told John he wanted to talk to him and they went out to the parking lot. They were out there for awhile, so I stopped waiting up on them.

"Need anything before I jump in the shower, Sam?" I asked him.

"If you could take my socks off that'd be great," he mumbled. Even though he and Dean were polar opposites, they both hated the weakness of needing to ask for help for simple things.

Resting on my knees at the foot of the bed, making sure Dean's T-shirt didn't pull up to reveal anything, I tugged Sam's socks off. Tossing them into the boys' dirty clothes duffel, I made sure he didn't need anything else before I grabbed a clean pair of underwear and the first T-shirt I found, which happened to be Sam's this time. Luckily all three of the Winchester boys towered over me, so any of their shirts worked.

The doctors gave me a time limit on how long it would be before I could wear anything with a waistband, and thankfully tomorrow was my last day so I could stop walking around half-naked. I don't think it bothered any of them, as I'd been part of the family so long, but it would still be nice.

When I emerged from the bathroom Sam had taken his pills and was out. John and Dean were conversing quietly at the table, but the immediately stopped when they saw me. John sighed and tilted his head towards the table, so I went over and took a seat. Both of them refused to meet my eyes.

"Guys?" I chuckled nervously. "What's wrong?"

"Millie..." John trailed off and finally just pushed a pile of different documents and cards at me. Confused, I began to shuffle through.

A fake ID for me under the name Camille Ramsey. The deed for an apartment here in Chicago. Paperwork and car keys to a silver 1999 Dodge Intrepid. Five thousand dollars cash.

I didn't bother looking through anything else before I looked up, watery eyes flashing back and forth. I understood now. Everything I needed to start a new, "normal" life here in Chicago.

"You're gonna leave me here?" I muttered softly.

"It's not like that," Dean immediately mumbled back. "It's just... I can't focus on the job if I'm focused on keeping you safe. Which I obviously can't do."

"It's not your job to keep me safe!" I stood up and angrily threw the papers down. "God, Dean, how many times do I have to tell you that I can take care of myself?!" I looked over at John. "And you, what do you think of all this? How did he talk you into this?"

"He didn't have to talk me into it," John sighed. "He mentioned it and I knew he was right. For different reasons, but still. Your parents would kill me if you got hurt. This is your best chance at a normal life."

"I don't _want _a normal life!" After a moment of silence, I shook my head and laughed bitterly. "But Jesus, I sure as hell don't want to stick around with you guys if you don't want me."

"Millie...," Dean began, but I cut him off with a glare.

I angrily bustled around the room, tossing all of my belongings into my duffel as I went. John and Dean watched me carefully. When I finally had everything, I returned to the table and gathered the materials to start a life as Camille Ramsey. "Tell Sam I said bye," I muttered, and headed out.

The car was in the motel lot, and with a little driving I found the apartment. Inside it was already furnished, but despite the furniture it was empty. Small, quiet, and empty.

I spent the next day lazing around, trying to figure out my next step. With dozens of possible paths, I was torn between two. I could get a job, go to school, live the normal life. Or I could go off hunting solo.

My motivation for each was different. I wanted the normal life because I knew it was what my parents would want for me. But I wanted to hunt to show John, and more specifically Dean, that I _could _do it. That I didn't need them to take down a couple monsters.

In the end, the rational side of me won.

I drove past the motel, and the absence of the Impala made the decision for me. I got a job as a waitress, at a Hooters nonetheless, applied to a couple colleges within walking distance of my apartment, and put out an advertisement for a roommate. I didn't necessarily want to be around anyone, but the apartment had two bedrooms and was so empty, and what better way to get a normal life than get a normal friend?

Zoey Baxter moved in not long later, and luckily she wasn't from Chicago so we went out and met people together. I got accepted to the same college she was going to, and we became good friends.

All in all, achieving the "normal life" was easy. Almost too easy.

But it was on a daily basis that I thought back to the Winchesters. Even though they'd abandoned me, they were my family and I missed them like crazy. But the busier I got, the more hunting, and the Winchesters, fell into the past.

August 17, 2001

"Adios to the best summer yet!" Zoey hollered. I laughed as she tried to clink glass mine, but missed because of how much she'd already drank.

"I'll drink to that," I agreed, taking a swig of the beer in my glass.

Total lie. This had been, by far, the worst summer of my life. Following our freshman year of college she'd gone back home for the summer, as had most of my other friends. I was alone in the apartment again, and without Zoey around I had no distractions from my thoughts of the Winchesters. In an attempt to keep from thinking, I drowned myself in extra hours at the restaurant.

Still, I thought of them. I never reached out to them, and they returned the favor for the most part. Sam called every so often to talk, and he seemed to be working up the courage to tell John he was going to college. John called once or twice, just on Christmas and my nineteenth birthday to make sure I was doing fine. I never heard from Dean, and I never asked about him.

Thankfully the summer was coming to an end. This was the last Friday night before classes started, so a bunch of us were at a club, one of the most popular in Chicago. A few of our friends were twenty-one, but most of us, like me and Zoey, were only nineteen, so we had fake IDs. It was weird to have a fake ID just to get into clubs when I was living under a completely false identity.

I glanced out at the dance floor, and between the sweaty bodies I swore I saw a familiar flash of green eyes. It was gone in an instant, and I was sure I'd imagined it. But that didn't mean I wouldn't double check.

"I'll be right back!" I yelled at Zoey over the music. I handed her my half-empty glass and set off across the dance floor.

I searched for ten minutes before I decided I'd imagined it, and I turned to go back to Zoey. Halfway there, a large hand caught my bicep and I was yanked out of the throng of people and ended up with my back to the wall, a tall, familiar body blocking me there.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Dean shouted at me angrily.

For a couple moments I just looked up at him in awe. It'd been just over a year since I last saw him. He looked exactly the same, but somehow even more perfect. I'd missed those hazel-green eyes more than I cared to admit, even now, when his eyebrows were slanted over them angrily.

I shook off the initial shock of seeing him and planted my hands on his chest, shoving him back.

"Having a normal life," I spat. I crossed my arms. "What are _you _doing here?"

"Hunting."

"What?" I looked around immediately. "What is it?"

"Vampire."

I laughed. "Please," I scoffed. "If it's here now, it knows you're a hunter. The jeans are fine, but that utility jacket shouts 'hunter' at anything supernatural."

"Well _you _fit right in," he jibed. Considering he was trying to insult me, his eyes were certainly straying pretty far down past my face.

Zoey had wanted to wear the matching tops we bought a couple days ago, tight black crop tops with the sleeves of a T-shirt. It wasn't as concealing as half the tops in here as it stopped a few inches above my belly button, which I'd pierced since staring the "normal life." Zoey was more dressy so she'd paired it with a hot pink skirt, while I opted for some high-waisted jean shorts. The nasty scars from that disastrous werewolf hunt last year peeked out of the waistband of everything I wore, so any time I wore a crop top I wore high-waisted shorts. I'd completed the look with a pair of black combat boots and curly hair.

"Just dressing the way a _normal _college girl would," I told him with a sly grin. I'd spent a good majority of my childhood and teenagehood with a terrible, unreciprocated crush on Dean. I felt way too smug that now he was checking me out and would feel the way I had.

"College girl, huh?" he asked. Returning my mischievous smirk, he leaned against the wall next to me, crossing his arms. He was looking at me the way he looked at all the girls he wrangled into a separate motel room when I was still with them, and it felt odd.

I opened my mouth to reply when I heard somebody calling my name. I glanced over Dean's shoulder to see Zoey, giggling and stumbling around like the silly drunk she was. She reached us and pulled me into a hug, planting a slobbery kiss on my cheek while Dean looked on with his eyebrows raised.

"I missed you," she slurred slowly, and finally saw Dean. "Who's your friend, Mill? I think I like him." She grinned at him and I laughed.

"Not a friend, Zo." I put an arm around her waist to support her. "C'mon, it's late, let's get back." I led her away, but as I went I turned back and mouthed, "Good luck."

He nodded in both thanks and goodbye before turning back.

I was disappointed to once again be saying goodbye to Dean Winchester, but I knew it wasn't the last we'd see of each other. Or at least I hoped.


End file.
